Biting incidents lead Hampstead to revise dog

BY MARTIN C. BARRY

The Town of Hampstead is revising its canine control bylaw, following several incidents in which people were bitten on Merton Road by an aggressive, unleashed dog. The updated bylaw could allow for the seizure of dangerous dogs.

According to one resident, Renée Ladenhein, who complained last Thursday evening to town council, two people have been bitten by the dog over the past nine months.

Although the owner has been fined, Ladenhein said she remains unsatisfied. She said others in the neighbourhood feel the same way. “We feel very uncomfortable with the way the bylaws are,” she said. “It’s been brought to my attention that a lot of municipalities have different bylaws that allow for the removal of these animals.”

Ladenhein said she was one of the people who were bitten and that she has spoken about the problem many times with the Hampstead Public Security department. She said she wanted to know what the Town is doing to change its dog control bylaw so that appropriate action can be taken.

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She said the owner has not been complying with an order that it be kept muzzled. “The dog has been spotted over 50 times by neighbours, unmuzzled,” she said. “My problem is firstly with the dog, but secondly and probably more importantly with the owner who takes no responsibility, shows no remorse or concern.”

Mayor Bill Steinberg said Hampstead has tried to control the dog since learning of the problem more than a month ago. “The dog was required to be muzzled, there were fines levied,” he said, adding later that the penalties totaled $680. “Had the dog been muzzled that would have been the end of it,” he added. “Unfortunately, apparently the dog was not always muzzled and a second incident occurred, which was much more recently.” Steinberg said it is the unanimous view of everyone on town council that the situation is serious and requires a change in the bylaw. “What we have found out up until now is that, yes, we can certainly make our bylaw tougher,” he said, adding that the dog’s owner could even be required to move as a result. “We haven’t finished the discussion, so I can’t tell you exactly what we’re going to do, but I think I can say that the bylaw is going to be amended.”